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Following the announcement of Mauricio Pochettino extending his contract with the U.S. men's national team, FOX Sports analyst Alexi Lalas shared his perspective on the state of the program and the expectations facing the head coach heading towards the 2030 World Cup. Reflecting on the recent tournament performance, Lalas noted that the job ultimately comes down to winning matches in the knockout stages. "When it comes to Mauricio Pochettino and his job and role, it was to win the game against Belgium, and in that moment, he and this team failed," Lalas said on his "State of the Union" podcast.Lalas emphasized that evaluating a manager based on results on the biggest stage and whether he can lead the Stars and Stripes to new heights. "Where he is again going to be judged is if he is going to get us to that rarefied air and that promised land. And for a lot of people, and that was made very very clear this summer, that is winning the round of 16 games." Lalas explained that success in those key matches shifts the broader conversation surrounding American soccer. "If this U.S. team under Mauricio Pochettino this summer had found a way to get past Belgium, all of this talk and all of this self-examinationwhether it's you know pay-to-play and player development and style of play and who we are as a soccer-playing nationthat all goes away," Lalas said. Looking ahead, Lalas expressed support for keeping Pochettino for the upcoming cycle. That includes competitions such as the Concacaf Nations League, the Concacaf Gold Cup and possibly the 2028 Copa Amrica should the U.S. be an invited team. "I think Mauricio Pochettino is fine. I think that he will be a better coach this cycle than he was last cycle," Lalas said. However, he stressed the importance keeping the commitment through the next tournament, where the USA will actually need to go through the qualifying process this time around. "That final judgment will come four years from now, and it remains to be seen whether he is even going to be in charge four years from now. It would really disappoint me if, after all of this and this decision that has been made today, if Mauricio Pochettino was not the coach four years from now because he saw something better or took a different job someplace else."

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl officials are celebrating 50 years of competition this year, and theyre doing it in a big way.The organization is releasing the top 50 all-time players in I-Bowl history, and theyve been releasing them in five-player increments. But now that the All-Time list has reached the Top 20, the individual athletes are receiving stand-alone stories. The athlete residing at No. 20 is two-time I-Bowler Brad Smith of Missouri, a quarterback who competed but lost the 2003 I-Bowl, then passed and rushed his way to a 2005 I-Bowl victory.The list was voted on by a local panel of media members, including the Shreveport Times, and I-Bowl representatives.Here is the I-Bowls take on Smith and his success in both Shreveport and beyond."Smith starred for Missouri in both the 2003 and 2005 I-Bowls under College Football Hall of Fame head coach Gary Pinkel. In his first appearance in 2003 against Arkansas, Smith passed for 155 yards and rushed for 107 yards, while throwing one interception and rushing for one TD. The Tigers fell to the Razorbacks, 27-14, in the 2003 I-Bowl."His next appearance was much more fortuitous, as he led Missouri to a 38-31 victory over Steve Spurriers South Carolina Gamecocks in 2005. Smith exploded in the game passing for 282 yards, rushing for 150 yards and scoring four total TDs on his way to being named the 2005 Offensive Player of the Game. His 150 rushing yards in 2005 are still the most rushing yards by a quarterback in an I-Bowl, and his 432 yards of individual total offense in 2005 still rank second all-time in a single I-Bowl behind Auburn quarterback Dameyune Craigs 447 yards in the 1996 bowl.SEC SEC: Three SEC players highlight I-Bowls All-Time team Nos. 31-35TOOMBS ARRIVES: JaMar Toombs, Rocky Calmus shine in latest I-Bowl All-Time groupLSU BOWL: LSU, A&M, BYU athletes highlight second I-Bowl All-Time group"As one of the few skill position players to start in two I-Bowls, Smith was easily one of the most-productive players in the games history. Combining his 2003 and 2005 performances, he amassed 432 passing yards, 257 rushing yards and five total TDs against two interceptions."Smith had a decorated career at Missouri, where he started four straight years and never missed a start. During his redshirt freshman season in 2002, Smith set the record for most rushing yards by a freshman quarterback in Division 1-A history (1,029). That helped propel him to being named the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and earning first-team Freshman All-American honors. The best season of his career was his senior season in 2005, when he passed for 2,304 yards, rushed for 1,301 yards and contributed 29 total TDs. He was named first-team All-Big 12 that season."Throughout his four years as a starter in Columbia, Smith rushed for over 1,000 three times and was a part of 102 touchdowns between passing, rushing and receiving. Among his many accolades and records, he was the first player in Division 1-A (now FBS) history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a single season twice in a career. He was also the first player in Division 1-A history to pass for over 8,000 yards and rush for over 4,000 yards in a career. He tops career marks in the Missouri record book for rushing yards and total yards."Smith was selected in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, with plans to use him as a quarterback, wide receiver and running back. While never becoming a star in the pros, he established a successful career as an offensive and special teams weapon, playing nine seasons in the NFL as a wildcat quarterback, wide receiver and returner. Over the course of his career, he compiled 972 rushing yards, 987 receiving yards, 2,879 return yards and 14 total TDs."Players were nominated and evaluated based on the following criteria: 40% weight on their I-Bowl performance; 30% on their college career; 30% on their pro career and accomplishments.Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Former Missouri QB Brad Smith is No. 20 on I-Bowls all-time list

Defending champion Ben Shelton hopes a strong run at the ATP Masters 1000 in Montreal will be a springboard to US Open success (Emilee Chinn)Ben Shelton doesn't want to miss his chances on court as he begins the defense of his ATP Montreal Masters title with the goal of arriving in full flow at the US Open.With the last major of the season starting on August 31 in New York, the American has programmeda full run-up schedule: Washington last week, Montreal and Cincinnati still to come."Three tournaments is the perfect amount. I'd like to get as many matches as possible," the fifth seed said on a rainy Monday that saw the start of play delayed several hours with more afternoon rain interruptions."I'm the type of player, the more matches I play, the better I play, as long as my body can hold up," Shelton added. "It's a great three-tournament run before having a week off leading up to the US Open. I'm just kind of going for it."The weather is playing a major role in the controversial 12-day extended Masters, a tournament where world number one Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic are high-profile absentees.Among first-round matches completed, Italy's former top 10 contender Matteo Berrettini, coming back form an abdominal injury, played his first match since Wimbledon and lost 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 to Argentine Mariano Navone.Colombian Nicolas Mejia defeated rising Spanish talent Martin Landaluce 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, Canada lost its first player with number 174 Alexis Galarneau going out to Czech Vit Kpriva 6-4, 6-4.James Duckworth beat Chris O'Connell 6-3, 6-1 in an all-Aussie clash.Roland Garros title holder and Wimbledon finalist Alexander Zverev is the top seed ahead of Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.Shelton, the ATP number 10 who reached last week's Washington quarters, is not bothered by the bloated length of the event which continues to attract criticism throughout the sport and could be ripe for future change.- Shelton's best swing -Shelton said that he is not particularly convinced about the practicality of the format and cannot fault his all-star peers for missing Montreal."I don't think that the two-week tournaments -- I think there's a lack of sustainability, for sure, but I don't know if there's a different way to go about it," he said."Jannik knows himself. Novak knows himself. Maybe I would do the same thing if I had won Wimbledon -- I didn't."It's tough to criticize those guys for the decisions that they make throughout the season when they're trying to sustain a level and maintain their health."At the same time, for me, this is one of my favorite parts of the year, one of my best swings, and I don't want to miss out on playing any of these tournaments."The American son of a former ATP player now coached by his father said that he does not dwell on the 1,000 ranking points he needs to defend in Canada from his 2025 victory."I've never been somebody who worries too much about defending. It's just not as much in my nature," he said. "If you're always thinking about defending or what week that you made points or didn't make points, it's easy to kind of get lost in your mind."That's why I like to just think about my body of work for this year, 2026, what I'm doing and what I want to accomplish by the end of the year."To get another opportunity to be playing really good tennis leading into the US Open is kind of my main goal here. I'm looking forward to getting out there again."str/bb

The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline is finally behind us. It was a whirlwind day and a whirlwind week-plus since the first major domino fell on the trade market. In reality, we won't really know how teams did at this year's deadline until the World Series trophy is hoisted or some of the prospects who got dealt have more years of experience under their belt, but that's not a fun truth for this exercise. Instead, we're gonna talk about who won or lost the deadline right now, just after it all went down. MLB Trade Deadline WinnersBaseball FansThis was a super fun trade deadline. We had some out-of-left-field moves. We had some top 50 prospects get traded. We had some established veterans going to new teams, and we had some typically passive teams trying to be aggressive. It all made for an enjoyable trade deadline that I didn't see coming. Now don't ruin it by taking a whole year off from playing games. Tarik SkubalYes, Tarik Skubal is a winner even if people are suggesting that he and the Dodgers have broken baseball. He was traded to the odds-on favorite to win the World Series. That's a big win for any player, which I guess makes Kris Bubic a winner too. River Ryan We should also take a minute and call River Ryan a winner. The discourse about him online has been aggressively harsh and bordering on illogical. He didn't become a full-time pitcher until 2022, when he was 23 years old. He had a fully healthy 2023 and 2024 season, and even reached the majors in 2024 before he blew out his arm and needed UCL surgery. He missed the entire 2025 season recovering from that and then returned this season. He looked good in Triple-A before a hamstring injury sidelined him. I don't care that he's 27 years old. I don't think he's "injury prone"; he had one major arm injury and a hamstring injury. Is he a risk? Sure, but he's a talented pitcher, and he's eventually going to get to show it in Detroit. Red Sox 2026 Postseason HopesEven if the Dodgers got Skubal, they might still have to go through the Boston Red Sox. Say what you want about how many prospects the Red Sox gave up today (and I will say some things later in this article), but they are certainly building a team to contend for this season. This team just swept the Dodgers on the road over the weekend and put together the best month of July of any team in baseball, so the front office decided they had to go for it. They added Adley Rutschman to provide a major upgrade at catcher for 2026 and 2027. They also added Eli White as a solid fourth outfielder who can defend and run the bases well, and then added Erik Miller as a solid left-handed reliever under team control through 2030, which the team really needed. Those are all solid pieces to add to a roster that is performing and plans to make a run in the playoffs. They gave up a lot of young players to get those pieces, but you certainly can't argue that the Red Sox are making a push to win in 2026.Padres 2026 Postseason HopesThe Padres are another team that drastically improved their playoff hopes on Monday. Their offense has started clicking in recent weeks, which has put them right back into playoff contention, but the rotation was an issue. So the Padres went out and added Robbie Ray and Casey Mize. They also have Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove already on rehab assignments. Oh, and they decided not to trade away Mason Miller. That's a win in its own right. Small Market Rust Belt FanbasesThe White Sox, Guardians, and Pirates, despite being "smaller market teams," who are usually a little more cautious around the deadline, all made moves to help their playoff chances. The Guardians made the biggest deals of the group, adding Jo Adell, All-Star starting pitcher Foster Griffin, and Nathaniel Lowe, and did so without having to give up any pieces that I thought were of major consequence for them. Meanwhile, the Pirates addressed a major hole in their bullpen by targeting both New York teams and taking Camilo Doval from the Yankees and Luke Weaver from the Mets. Oh, they also got Kirby Yates from the Angels. That's a lot of MLB experience to put in the back of their bullpen for a playoff push. I was least impressed with the White Sox, who added Luis Castillo to the rotation, Huascar Brazoban to the bullpen for three years, Brenton Doyle to their outfield rotation, and Joey Bart as their starting catcher. Considering the White Sox are in first place in the AL Central, I was kind of hoping they would have taken at least one bigger swing or added another experienced starting pitcher, but they added pieces to fill weaknesses, so kudos to them for that. I guess. Los Angeles AngelsYou know what, it's time to give the Angels a win. For years, they've held onto players who were not going to help them in the future and stubbornly refused to trade them for any kind of value at the deadline. This year, they made more trades than any other team. No, they didn't trade away every possible player they could have, but they got rid of some pieces that weren't going to remain with the organization and took gambles on young players. It's too early to say if the younger players will pan out (even though I like Arjun Nimmala), but the Angels get credit here for actually looking to the future and trying to build a young core. Jose SorianoYes, that means Jose Soriano was traded away, but I understand that. He has good secondaries but mediocre fastballs and has maybe hit his ceiling in Los Angeles. He's a fine pitcher for the Angels, but not a top-of-the-rotation arm. However, he now gets to go to a team that has a better track record of developing pitchers. I love what the Blue Jays did this year with Dylan Cease, tweaking his changeup to help propel him to his best season ever. Maybe they have a better shot of finding that next level for Soriano. Freddy PeraltaThe Rays are also a team that has a good track record of helping pitchers maximize their ability, andI recorded a video today on how the Rays willingness to throw same-handed changeups might be just what Peralta needs. That makes Peralta a winner at the deadline, but he also gets to move from a Mets team that was in the midst of a major letdown to a Rays team that is in first place in the AL East and looking like a lock for the postseason. New York MetsI think the Mets were also a winner today. Now, they pretty clearly have not been a winner at basically any point this season, which is why they were selling, and this season on the whole remains a major disappointment. That being said, I thought they got good value for the players they moved today. Getting Jefferson Rojas from the Cubs was a big win. Getting Sammy Stafura from the Pirates was a big win. They got young starting pitchers with plus command or elite fastballs in a collection of other deals and will trust their pitching development to get something out of them. Overall, the Mets took an awful situation and had a strong day in response to it. Marlins-Rays Catching PipelineSpeaking of the Rays, score one for the Marlins and Rays catching pipeline. Last season, the Marlins traded Nick Fortes to the Rays. This season, the Marlins traded Liam Hicks to the Rays. Now Fortes and Hicks will be the catching tandem in Tampa Bay on a playoff team. It's nice to have friends back together again (I assume they were friends).Miami MarlinsI thought the Marlins did a nice job at the deadline. They're 1.5 games out of the NL Wild Card race, so they didn't need to tear the team down or sell off any major pieces. However, if they're being honest with themselves, they don't currently have a team that's going to contend for a title. Instead of simply giving away pieces, they looked for players they could trade away that might not have a clear place for the future. Liam Hicks was great for them this season and has plenty of years of control, but he is also a below-average defensive catcher and is basically just a DH. With Heriberto Hernandez emerging and Owen Caissie back from injury, flipping Hicks for Brayden Taylor, their potential third baseman of the future (a spot they really need talent at), is a long-term win for the Marlins without hurting their current team too much. They added Jonathon Long, who's an intriguing 1B prospect for a starting pitcher they don't seem to want to use (Braxton Garrett), and even picked up an intriguing bullpen arm in Victor Vodnik. Overall, a solid day. Washington NationalsThe Nationals are another team that took away some talent from their major league roster (Foster Griffin, Luis Garcia Jr.), but subtracted in ways that made sense. The Nationals wanted to re-sign Foster Griffin, but it seems like Griffin wasn't keen on signing an extension, so they pivoted to trading him and getting a slew of prospects from the Guardians to try to rebuild their farm system. They also acquired four intriguing pitchers from the Yankees for Garcia Jr., including Yovanny Cruz, who could be their future closer, and Ben Grable, who has a really intruiging fastball. Considering the Nationals have two 1B prospects that are likely MLB-ready in Yohandy Morales and Abimelec Ortiz, they felt strongly about being able to backfill Garcia with some players that could also help. I don't mind that approach at all. Paul Toboni said an extension with Foster Griffin: there was a "clear desire to want him around"There was a scenario where they kept Griffin and continued extension talks in the offseason, Toboni said. They considered offering him a qualifying offer too. Danielle Allentuck (@d_allentuck) August 3, 2026Dustin May Voodoo MagicAnother deadline comes and goes with Dustin May on an expiring contract being traded for an intriguing prospect. Last season, the Red Sox acquired Dustin May for outfield prospect James Tibbs III and Zach Erhard. This year, he was traded to the Brewers for Alexander Frias. I know Frias wasn't a top five prospect for the Brewers, but some sites have had him as a top 100 prospect overall, and the 18-year-old has legit power. It's a great get for the Cardinals and another example that MLB GMs are simply bewitched by Dustin May. Chicago Cubs Veteran Starting Pitchers Some other veteran starting pitchers that deserve love are going to Chicago, with Clay Holmes, Kevin Gausman, and Braxton Garrett joining the Cubs rotation. The Cubs lost all of Cade Horton, Justin Steele, and Ben Brown to injury. Even though Steele will be back this season, the Cubs have said that it's unlikely he will be used as a starter, so they definitely needed some. Getting Gausman and Holmes is perfect for Chicago because both pitchers rely on command and groundballs, and the Cubs have an elite infield defense. I know this isn't the sexiest rotation, but Gausman, Holmes, Imanaga, and Matthew Boyd is a solid core for the playoffs, and that doesn't even factor in David Peterson, Braxton Garrett, and Colin Rea, who can help soak up innings to get them there. MLB Trade Deadline LosersCincinnati Reds What are the Reds doing? They're 5.5 games out of the final spot in the NL Wild Card race and don't seem like a real threat to make a push. Yet, the only player they traded away was Nathaniel Lowe. Brady Singer was kept, despite being a free agent at the end of the year. JJ Bleday was kept. Tyler Stephenson was kept despite a robust market for catchers. I just don't get it. They just sat around and did nothing. Texas Rangers The Rangers got swept by the Astros this weekend and panicked. They reportedly tried to trade Jacob deGrom, but he refused to waive his no-trade clause. The Rangers also apparently talked to teams about trading Nathan Eovaldi, but didn't do that either. Instead, they stood pat. I don't fault a team that was in first place three days ago from trying to compete, but the Rangers also didn't add anything on Monday. So we have a team that seemed to want to sell, but players didn't want to leave, so the team just decided to trade Josh Smith for Adam Macko. I dunno. That doesn't really do it for me, personally. According to @Ken_Rosenthal report, Jacob deGrom said he preferred to stay in Texas, per his no-trade clause. If so, that might explain why Rangers appear to be holding. Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) August 3, 2026Minnesota TwinsAnother team that tried to do two things at once was the Twins. They're one game out of a playoff spot, so they wanted to be buyers at the deadline, but they didn't want to really buy much. Jeff Hoffman and AJ Minter are solid bullpen pieces, but Dean Kremer is not going to help this rotation, and there were no upgrades to the lineup. It just feels like they could have picked a lane. Teams that try to toe this line between buying a little bit but not wanting to spend too much rarely come away with much meaningful to show for it at the end. Colorado RockiesNew ownership group, same situation for the Rockies. Yes, they traded Brenton Doyle to the White Sox, and that should free up playing time for Cole Carrigg. They also capitalized on Antonio Senzatela's solid bullpen season and traded him to Milwaukee, but that was it. Starting pitchers on expiring contracts, like Tomoyuki Sugano and Michael Lorenzen, were kept. Mickey Moniak was kept, which isn't such a bad thing, but it means that Zac Veen continues to be blocked at Triple-A and will be for the next two years. I don't think they needed to trade Hunter Goodman, but maybe they could have done, ya know, something. Milwaukee Brewers Speaking of Senzatela, I have to put the Brewers in here. They have the best record in baseball. They have a real shot to win the whole thing. They apparently made an offer for Tarik Skubal but then saw him get traded to the Dodgers. So they countered by... trading for Dustin May, Antonio Senzatela, and JoJo Romero, who is currently hurt. This is a good organization. I wonder if they played it a little too cautiously this season. Arizona DiamondbacksThe Diamondbacks are another playoff team that didn't really do much to help themselves. Arizona has a wild card spot right now. They might get Corbin Burnes back in time for him to make some starts for them, so they loaded up by adding...Lars Nootbaar. Sure, Nootbaar is fine; Statcast has always loved him, but I'm not sure how much better he is than Max Kepler. Is that difference enough to dramatically impact the Diamondbacks' chances of competing in the playoffs? Athletics Another team that I'm not entirely sure knew the deadline was happening. They traded Colby Thomas for Seth Johnson. That was it. That was the only move they made. I don't think you need to tear it all down here, but certainly there were relievers or starting pitchers on expiring contracts (Jeffrey Springs) who could have gotten them something. Red Soxs Minor League DepthWe said before that the Red Sox went for it this season, but oh boy did they give a lot to do it. Craig Breslow traded away three of the team's top five prospects in the deal for Adley Rutschman. He dealt Marcelo Mayer to San Francisco for three years of Erik Miller, and he traded their 14th-ranked prospect to the Braves for Eli White. Yes, the Red Sox have been really good at developing young arms, and they likely feel confident that they can backfill those roles, but that's a lot of young talent to give up to try and capitalize on this scorching-hot last seven weeks or so. Mike Elias Grasp on RealityI thought the Orioles had a fine deadline. They got tons of young talent from the Red Sox for Rutschman, and they flipped Taylor Ward, Tyler Wells, and Dean Kremer for other young pieces to try and build up their farm system. Yet, I'm not entirely sure why they held onto Trevor Rogers, who is a free agent after this season, and I don't think Mike Elias has a clear plan for where this team is going right now. After the deadline, he said that the Orioles intend to contend in 2026. Yes, they're 2.5 games out of the playoffs, but they don't currently have a healthy catcher, they lack starting pitching depth, and this lineup has underproduced all season. I'm not sure I see this as a playoff team. Mike Elias said the Orioles' front office did not dismantle the roster and that they're "still a very good team." He also cited the talent coming from the Minor Leagues."Were going to be playing for the postseason the rest of the way." Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) August 3, 2026

The Houston Texans had four different players who recorded four interceptions last season, including both of their starting safeties - Calen Bullock and Jalen Pitre. Even though Bullock and Pitre are still with the Texans, they decided to increase their safety depth by signing Philadelphia Eagles starter Reed Blankenship in the offseason.After spending four seasons with the Eagles, including the 2024 season when the Eagles won the Super Bowl. While he has not recorded an interception in the postseason, he does have nine career interceptions, including four in 2024.Cornerback Kamari Lassiter said Blankenship has been a good addition to the team and has meshed well with the other players.Any time you can add a really good football player to your team, its great, Lassiter said. Reed is a good football player. He came in and he meshes really well with us. He plays with confidence. He plays fast. He plays physical. Hes just like one of us. We get along really well. We communicate really well. Its going to be real fun this year.Houston will be looking for Blankenship to get back to his 2024 demeanor now in DeMeco Ryans' system. During Philadelphias Super Bowl run, he was a key part of their defense.Last season, Blankenship had one of the lowest PFF scores among safeties, largely due to his performance in coverage, as he performed decently against the run last season.Last season in coverage, Blankenship allowed 68.4 percent of passes thrown his way to be completed as well as allowing two touchdowns. When facing the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the playoffs, San Franciscos quarterback, Brock Purdy, picked Blankenship apart, as Purdy had a 132.9 quarterback rating when throwing in Blankenships direction.Between learning from Texans talented secondary and having a change of scenery, he could easily get back on track and make some plays for Houston this year.Reed came in, smart guy, just picked up, he was just rolling," Bullock said Saturday. "So just hitting the field with him. Him going out there showing and communicating with me. We're on the same page. It makes both our jobs easier.This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans newcomer Reed Blankenship bringing speed, physicality and confidence to Texans D

LOS ANGELES At Mondays trade deadline, the Red Sox made aggressive moves to solidify their roster for a playoff push and paid a big price to do so.The biggest? Boston acquired catcher Adley Rutschman from the Orioles marking a major step in Craig Breslows efforts to bolster the clubs offense for the stretch run. The Red Sox sent a hefty five-player package to Baltimore of catcher Carlos Narvez, pitching prospects Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, outfield prospect Enddy Azocar and a player to be named later. The Sox are also getting backup catcher Jake Rogers and cash in the swap. Contrary to some reports, outfield prospect Harold Rivas was not involved in the deal.The Red Sox, who have won 31 of their last 39 games and now possess the third-best record in the American League behind the Rays and Yankees, have been looking for upgrades at catcher and shortstop in recent days as well as searching for rotation and bullpen depth. Adding Rutschman provides clear upside behind the plate, where Narvez, Connor Wong (and for a spell, Mickey Gasper) have combined to post the sixth-worst OPS in the sport (.615) and the fewest home runs (4). The move paired with last Saturdays 1-for-1 swap that sent Connelly Early to Washington for Curtis Mead is a clear sign Breslow believes in his group and believes the Sox can make a deep run. Meads bat will not be a factor in the coming weeks after he broke his wrist when he was hit by a pitch in his Red Sox debut.BETTING: The Red Sox are listed at +500 on DraftKings to win the AL East Division. Our comprehensive DraftKings Sportsbook review provides a trustworthy guide on how to use their app. Also, make sure to check out our MLB betting guide if youre interested in learning more about how to bet on baseball.In Rutschman, the Red Sox are getting a former No. 1 overall pick (2019) who had an up-and-down tenure in Baltimore, where he once appeared to be a franchise cornerstone. After a very strong three-year start to his big league career from 2022 to 2024, Rutschman took a step back last season and was limited, by injury, to 90 games. This year, he has taken a step forward again and was named an All-Star for the third time.The 28-year-old has hit .251 with eight homers, 19 doubles, 47 RBIs and a .764 OPS in 67 games. He started 49 games behind the plate for the Orioles and another 16 at designated hitter before landing on the injured list with wrist inflammation in mid-July. Rutschman is currently on the injured list due to inflammation in his left wrist, but the Red Sox signed off on his medicals in order to finalize the deal. According to reports, the Orioles expected Rutschman back at some point in mid-August. To obtain Rutschman, the Red Sox parted with Narvez, who entered as their starting catcher last year, and three top-10 organizational prospects. Eyanson is the headliner of the group as a fast-rising third-rounder from last years draft who has a 1.69 ERA and 48 innings at Double-A Portland and currently ranks as the No. 33 prospect in all of baseball, per Baseball America. Witherspoon, Bostons first-rounder last year (at No. 15 overall) was ranked No. 97 on that list. Azocar, a 19-year-old at High-A Greenville, has an .880 OPS in 85 games across two levels this year. According to SoxProspects.coms most recent rankings, Eyanson (No. 2), Kyson Witherspoon (No. 3) and Azocar (No. 6) are all top-10 prospects in Bostons system.The Red Sox conceded that package due to a belief Rutschmans renaissance is real. Along with ranking among baseballs best catchers in throwing out base-stealers and framing, the Oregon State product has posted an encouraging offensive profile in which he has hit the ball hard and not struck out much (just 14.1%) this season. After a poor 2025 in which he hit just .220 and had a .673 OPS for a disappointing Baltimore club, Rutschman came out of the gates hot and had a .908 OPS in his first 26 games. Since May 12, he has only hit .219 with three homers and 26 RBIs, though the wrist likely has something to do with that. Rutschman, who is making $7.5 million in arbitration this season, is controlled through next season and a free agent after 2027. He has been on the injured list three times so far this season: from April 11-21 with left ankle inflammation, from June 20-28 with a concussion and since July 20 due to the wrist issue. Rutschman is a switch-hitter who has hit better left-handed (.799 OPS) than right-handed (.705 OPS) this season. That has flipped from 2024, when he dominated hitting righty (.902 OPS) but struggled to a .631 OPS from the left side. For his career, Rutschman has been slightly better from the right side.The Red Sox, in an unusual midseason move, reshaped the future of their catching position in one fell swoop. Just a year ago, Narvez acquired in a December 2024 trade that sent pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez to the Yankees looked to be Bostons catcher of the future when he finished sixth in the AL Rookie of the Year race after a solid two-way season in which he hit .241 with 15 homers, 50 RBIs and a .726 OPS in 118 games. This year, his offense has taken a significant step back and hes only hitting .187 with three homers, 10 RBIs and a .535 OPS in 197 plate appearances. He has started 56 games (with Wong starting 43).For now behind the plate, Boston will move forward with Wong and Rogers, a longtime Tiger who was traded to Baltimore earlier this week, with Rutschman waiting to take over as the starter in the coming weeks. The expectation is that Wong will take the lions share of at-bats in the coming days. Rutschman will face a steep learning curve of getting to know an entirely new pitching staff in the coming days and weeks, though he has faced the Red Sox plenty as a member of the Orioles. In 28 career games at Fenway Park, he has hit .239 (27-for-113) with three homers and four doubles.That five-player haul that the Red Sox sent to Baltimore has sent shockwaves around baseball, especially considering that theres a chance of a labor-related lockout causing much or in a worst-case scenario, all of the 2027 season to be canceled. One evaluator from another organization said he was absolutely dumbfounded by the move and that it was one of the most ridiculous trades (he) had seen in 30 years.Eyanson, 21, received a $1.75 million bonus as the 87th overall pick out of LSU last season and quickly passed fellow draftees Witherspoon and Marcus Phillips on prospect rankings with a dominant showing at High-A and Double-A, where he has struck out 94 batters in 68 innings. Witherspoons up-and-down first professional season has included a 4.78 ERA in 17 starts at High-A Greenville but his pitch mix was worth the Sox giving him a $5 million bonus out of the University of Oklahoma last year. Azocar signed for just $40,000 out of Venezuela in January 2024 but has taken a significant step forward at the plate this season and has a good chance to stick in center.The Red Sox made two other deals before the 6 p.m. deadline, acquiring lefty reliever Erik Miller and outfield prospect Carlos Gutierrez from San Francisco for infielder Marcelo Mayer and swapping pitcher Tyler Uberstine for outfielder Eli White with Atlanta.More Red Sox coverageWhen will Adley Rutschman make his Red Sox debut? Heres the latest on his injuryRed Sox trade: Whos Carlos Gutierrez, under the radar prospect acquired for Marcelo Mayer?What theyre saying about Red Sox trading Marcelo MayerWhat theyre saying about Red Sox acquiring Adley Rutschman for big haulRed Sox trade Marcelo Mayer to Giants for lefty reliever who has had dominant yearRead the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Former Auburn baseball star Casey Mize was the center of several discussions ahead of the MLB trade deadline. On Monday, he was finally dealt just before the cut-off time. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Monday that Mize is heading to the San Diego Padres after spending time in the Detroit Tigers organization since he was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2018 MLB Draft. The trade is a four-player deal, as Mize and infielder Gage Workman are heading to the Padres in exchange for a pair of left-handers: Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf. Mize departs the Detroit Tigers, a team sitting in fourth place in the American League Central Division, and heads to the San Diego Padres to join a starting rotation for a team just one game out of a National League Wild Card spot as of Monday. Dealing for Mize was one of several pitching moves the Padres made ahead of the trade deadline. The Padres also traded for San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray and right-hander Hunter Stratton from the Pittsburgh Pirates to join a talented offensive roster that features stars Fernando Tatis Jr, Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and star closer Mason Miller. Mize joins his new club with a 4-6 record, but boasts a 2.70 ERA with 85 strikeouts in 16 starts with the Tigers. If the Padres achieve their goal of making the MLB Postseason, it will mark the second time Mize has played with a playoff squad. Last season with Detroit, Mize started two games and struck out seven batters over six innings during the Tigers' American League Division Series against AL Central rival Cleveland. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Casey Mize dealt in final moments of the MLB trade deadline